To feel unhappy with being a uk size 12?

[lazysloth]

First of all this is not intended to be 'fat shaming' in any way. I know lots of ladies who look fabulous (and most importantly feel it) in larger sizes.
In my late teens and early-mid twenties I was always a slight size ten (not small enough to feel comfortable in an 8 but more like a size 9). I feel comfortable, happy, confident and healthy at this size.
I am now late 20s and seemingly out of nowhere I am a size 12, bordering on a 14. I tried on some size 12 jeans today in River Island and whilst they fit they really did not look any good!
I am not eating any more or doing any less excercise. Do you have to try harder at this stuff once you hit late twenties/ early 30's? I am really not happy with my body and feel like I need to cover up .
Everyone else says I look fine and this is a normal and healthy size.I am wondering if I shouldn't be so worried about it and it's all in my head? But I'm feeling like I need to go on some sort of diet. I've never been able to diet properly ever and I really hate the gym.

I’m a size 12, at 5’2 and 9st 12lb. I’m happiest at size 10 and 8st 7lb, but have to eat like a bird to maintain that. I’ve lost 6lb in the past 8 weeks but find it very difficult. My husband suggested last night I stop dieting because it might be setting our children a bad example. He buys me nice chocolates and tells me to enjoy them! He might have a point. I’ve been gaining and losing weight now on a 30 year cycle of dieting. I’m 42. I don’t want my children doing the same.

I don't understand that, I am below the average weight for my height in 1955. If those weights were average, how did anyone fit in the smaller clothes sizes? Size 16 or 18 must have been the average clothes size surely

Actually, looking at the book it says they are the average weights of men and women. Not sure how that works unless the men’s weight starts at 5ft 7 or something.

I'm a UK size 10 (some tops) 12 (bottoms), and I'm trying to lose the weight. I definitely look a bit wobbly in pictures, mainly around my upper arms and my back. I used to be a size 8-10 pre-children, but it was a smaller sizing system. I've been going through my wardrobe and realised that I've got some old size 10 and 12 in there, and they are a LOT smaller than the size 10 and 12 clothes I buy today from shops like White Company.

I appear to have 10 kg to lose to get back to pre-baby weight, which was a BMI 18.

Octopus those 10 etc sizes didn't exist in 1955 anyway it was something like S/M/OS. Not everyone was thin in the past, my gm was a stocky woman no more or less. She didn't walk around naked so she must have been able to find clothes somehow.

And the sizes these days really do depend on where you shop and what you buy.

And sorry one of the other things with sizing is how clothes are cut for height. So if in the past they were for shorter people they will seem smaller to us now. I can wear a 10xl in jeans for example but in a standard long would need a 12 (and the bloody things would constantly fall down).

I have had the "too tall for my waist" problem, with trousers, in last 10 yrs. Even though I have short legs for my height.

Hi OP, you sound just like me a few years ago. I wish someone had advised me about how hard it is to lose weight in your late 20s early 30s. Get into an exercise regime now even if it's walking, running, swimming...I'm also not a gym person but because I didn't actively try to stay fit I am now a few sizes bigger than I was in my late 20s. Don't diet, just eat in moderation.

Not everyone was thin in the past
of course not, but looking at school photos or photos of adults, the majority of people were slimmer. The earliest family photos I have come from around 1900s, and no one was big on them.

People didn't get much chance to over eat during the last 2 wars anyway. Even after, the English role models were much slimmer than other countries: compare Twiggy and Bardot for example

But it isn't really that healthy slim people were slimmer is it? There are very slim people now - it's more that it was really unusual to be overweight, particularly for children. And that some people were actually malnourished as they didn't have enough food.

But it isn't really that healthy slim people were slimmer is it? There are very slim people now - it's more that it was really unusual to be overweight

I agree. I think the vanity sizing issue is almost overstated on mumsnet.

You either are overweight at your given height & build, or you’re not. The issue is that more of us are.

People were generally a lot more active. Our problems is that we are, as a whole, eating more processed food and rubbish, and much more lazy.

My friend lost 5 stone post baby weight via slimming world. She did amazingly well but I think she went too far. She's around your height op and says she is around 9 stone. She looks ill with a lolly pop head I'm sure it looked great when she was a tallish, slim teen. But as a woman in her 30s it looks odd.

Some women in their 30s onwards look great smaller if they are quite short with small/petite features and very much look like a woman as opposed to a teen etc. But some people just look a bit odd when they try to be the same weight as when they were a teen/early 20s.

Partyrings I agree

Size 12 is NOT fat. Perhaps it would help if you found other things to concentrate on - really, this is just plain silly.

The problem is that we all expand a bit as we get older - I was very skinny as a teenager and early 20s and am now a size 16 - and am entirely happy with that. Life moves on - it may feel fat to you, because it is not what you are used to but it is very definitely NOT fat. Move on and enjoy life.

Size 12 is NOT fat.
depends on your height and body shape, for some people it IS fat.

I don't think it is silly to be concerned about weight gain in your late 20s as it is a great time to reassess health and change habits. Getting bigger isn't inevitable at all, body shape changes in menopause but it is still possible to be trim. If feeling healthy is what's important to someone I don't think they should be told to 'move on'.

But some people just look a bit odd when they try to be the same weight as when they were a teen/early 20s.

How incredibly weird. I don't know anyone in their 40s who is happy weighing 20 or 30 pounds more than they did in their 20s.

They may accept it because of the work involved in staying the same weight as your 20-something self, but seeing a very thin middle-aged woman as 'odd' is completely foreign to me.

I think being very thin makes you look older.

It’s not just about measurements though. I’m quite small boned, but tall. I look alright with my clothes on but have quite a wodge of flab I can grab, which wouldn’t show if I gave you my measurements.

I'm currently pregnant and therefore not worrying about weight/size but when not pregnant I'm the same height as you and a size 10-14 depending on shop and type of clothing (if asked my size I'd say 12). I'm pretty happy with the way I look and I'm not overweight in terms of BMI. The person who suggested 22.5 was the upper end of a normal BMI is wrong. My BMI sits at around 24-25 and I'm happy with that I have lots of muscle and very little flab.

What I have noticed is that I now have to work to maintain my weight (I'm mid 30's) whereas before I could really eat a lot and maintain. Size 12 is a happy place for me I don't think I look good much smaller but if size 10 is your happy place I guess you have to decide if you want it badly enough to work for it.

was am 8-10 before kids and now im a uk 12.

i feel bulky especially as i have a straight up and down/no boob shape. i have a couple of denim skirts from 1997 ish in a uk 14 and they are same size as uk 12 now.

being 10 stone at 5ft 8 like i am is nothing to boast about. being 9 stone maybe, not 10

clothcollector your weight and height puts you bang in the middle of the healthy weight range with a BMI of 21.2. Thete is nothing at all wrong with that. When did our perceptions become so skewed?

Ive always been a small 10 (more like a 9) and 8 stone. After DD1 (age 30) I lost the weight in 3 months, down to 7.8stone. Size 6/8. Felt amazing!!!! Fast forward to D2 aged 35, and after 10 months I still have about 5lbs to go to 8 stone...
Wild love to be size 6 again, try the royal marine diet. It’s amazing!